Do you need to book Geyuan Garden and Heyuan Garden in advance?
Yes — Geyuan Garden and Heyuan Garden in Yangzhou runs on real-name advance reservation. Release rule: Real-name reservation required to buy; passport as ID, bookable the same day or ahead via the official mini-program. A foreign passport works as the real-name ID. The official channel has no linkable web page, so the practical route is your hotel or the on-site window.
Verified 2026-06-13 · rules change; confirm on the official channel before you travel
The booking rule, in detail
- Reservation
- Required in advance
- Tickets release
- Real-name reservation required to buy; passport as ID, bookable the same day or ahead via the official mini-program
- Foreign passport
- A foreign passport works as the real-name ID.
- Official channel
- No linkable web page — the official route is a Chinese mini-program or the on-site window.
How a foreign visitor actually books it
Both classical gardens now require a real-name booking to buy the ticket, through the official Yangzhou WeChat mini-program (a QR code at the entrance); a passport is your ID. In practice you can often book on your phone right at the gate, but it is no longer a simple cash-at-the-window sight. Have your hotel set up the mini-program if the Chinese interface is a barrier.
What else to know
officialBookingUrl null — the channel is the Chinese-only official mini-program, no overseas-confirmed booking page. Government-set pricing is roughly ¥45 peak / ¥30 off-season each (peak counted as Mar–May and Aug–Oct; you'll also see ¥48 quoted at Geyuan, so confirm at booking); half price for 60–69s and 6–18s with ID. Geyuan is the famous merchant garden built around bamboo and the 'four-seasons' rockeries; Heyuan is the late-Qing 'Garden of He' known for its two-storey covered walkways. They pair naturally with the old town in a half-day and, in summer, both stay open into the evening (to around 21:30).
If the official channel does not work
The two reliable fallbacks are your hotel front desk, which books these through domestic apps every day, and the on-site manual window where one still exists. What does not work is buying from someone who approaches you or from a marketplace listing: entry is real-name, so a ticket registered to another person’s ID will not admit you. The mechanics are in buying tickets the official way and booking without WeChat.
Other Yangzhou sights that need booking
Full city context, hotels that register foreigners, and what to eat: Yangzhou guide. Release times across every city we track are in Reservation Radar.